This invention relates to new optically active phosphine compounds which are useful in making optically active catalysts which are useful in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of some olefins. The new phosphine compounds are made from novel phosphine oxides.
Homogeneous catalysts, i.e. those catalysts that are soluble in the reaction mass, have been found to be particularly useful in processes wherein an asymmetric result is obtained. For instance, it has been found that when some olefins, which are capable of forming racemic mixtures are hydrogenated in the presence of some optically active homogeneous catalysts, one or the other of the possible desired optical enantiomorphs is obtained in a major amount with the other optical enantiomorph being obtained in minor amounts. Furthermore, it has been found that certain such olefinic substrates, for instance, precursors of .alpha.-amino acids, are particularly amenable to hydrogenation with homogeneous optically active catalysts. Such procedures are set forth more particularly in Canadian Pat. No. 937,573. Such catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation processes have resulted in the production of large amounts of the desired optical enantiomorph.
Typical prior art catalyst are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,849,480; 4,008,280; 4,119,652; and 4,166,824. Some of these catalysts are also described in the Journal of the American Chemical Society 99, (1977), page 5946, by Vineyard, Knowles, Sabacky, Bachman and Weinkauff in an article entitled "Asymmetric Hydrogenation: Rhodium Chiral Bisphosphine Catalyst."
Unlike the catalysts of the prior art, the catalysts of the invention can be used in water media and still give high efficiency and perform rapidly for asymmetric hydrogenation. The terms "high efficiency" and "perform rapidly" are defined throughout this patent application based on Tables I; II and III as being greater than 75% efficiency and in times of not more than a few hours, preferably less than one hour.